Indicator for electrically driven instruments and clocks



E. F. HENRY April 24, 1934.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN INSTRUMENTS AND CLOCKS Filed Dec. 2, 1952 INVENTOR- Em l. F Hem Y A TTORNEYf.

Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNITED STATES INDICATOR ron ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN INSTRUMENTS AND CLOCKS Emil F. Henry, La Salle, Ill., assignor to Western Illinois Clock Company, Peru, 111., a corporation of Application December 2, 1932, Serial No. 645,405

18 Claims.

My invention relates to indicators for electrically driven instruments having a timing function and has for its object [the production of a.

simple and reliable mechanically operated indicating device for indicating whether the current supplied to drive the instrument has been such that the motor was permitted to be driven substantially below its constant operative speed or that the motor was actually stopped due to an interruption in the flow of the current supplying the motor.

My invention is particularly adapted to be used in connection with constant speed motors and synchronous motors, especially self-starting synchronous motors for time keeping purposes which motors are operated from commercial lighting and power systems that have the frequency regulated to give standard time. My indicator will indicate any unusual condition that is not conducive to good time keepingsuch as exceptionally low frequency as well as current interruptions of appreciable duration.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a partial front view of a clock showing my indicating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a top view of same, showing a partial section of the plate and dial along a line 2-2 of said Figure 1. r

Fig. 3 is a left side view of the same showing the indicating mechanism before it has functioned, similarly showing the plate in partial section along a line 3-3 and the dial along a'line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is the same view as Fig. 3 showing the indicating mechanism after it has functioned.

Similar numerals represent the same parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing 1 represents the front frame plate of the clock. A self-starting synchronous electric motor, the rotor 2 of which is shown only, is mounted between plate 1 and the rear clock plate (not shown). Rotor shaft 3 carrying rotor pinion 4 is journalled in plate 1 and said rear plate in the usual manner.

Said rotor 2 has an aperture 5 which aperture 5 is bridged by the radially disposed rod 6 fastened to the rotor at the edges of said aperture. I

Slidably and rotaltably mounted on said rod 6 is the cylindrical weight or roller 7 shown.

A bracket 8 is fastened on the front side of plate 1 by means of the screw 9, and has a U- shaped projecting part 10 which extends rearward through an aperture 11 in the plate 1, one side of said U-shaped part terminates in the projection 12, which extends beyond the front side of plate 1. Journally mounted in the U- shaped projection 10 of bracket 8 is the shaft 13 on which is mounted the lever 14. Lever 14 has a bent part 15 which lies forward from the shaft 13 and extends in front of and runs parallel to the plate 1 in the rear of the dial plate 21 and which terminates in the angularly disposed surfaces 16 and. 17, as shown. Said lever 14 has a projection 18 on the opposite or rearward side of the shaft 13 and extending at right angles to said lever 14 and further has the projection 19 at its rear extremity. The rearward part of lever 14 is curved as shown at 14a to permit lever 14 to clear the U-shaped projection 10 of bracket 8. One end of a coiled spring 20 is-fastened to projection 18 of lever 14 and the other end-of said spring 20 is fastened to projection 12 on bracket 8 and the shaft 13 is so disposed to spring connecting points 18 and 12 so that the projection 18 has stopping positions above and below the shaft 13 such that when 18 is above the center of the said shaft 13 the part 16 of lever 14 is directly behind the aperture 22 in the dial plate 21 (see Fig. 3) and. when 18 is below the shaft 13 the part 17 of lever 14 is directly behind the aperture 22 (see'Fig. 4). The parts 16 and 17 can be of difierent colors to distinguish between them and to further indicate that the motor has either been substantially below synchronous speed or that the motor has stopped due to a current interruption.

In operation my indicating mechanism functions as follows:

Figs. 1 and 3 show the position of the parts before the tripping of the mechanism and when the motor is running at its proper normal speed. When the rotor 2 of the clock motor is running at its normal speed the weight 7 due to centrifugal action takes the position adjacent to the periphery of the rotor 2 as shown in Fig. 4. When there is an interruption in the current flow to the motor, the consequent slowing down of the rotor. 2 will cause the weight 7 to drop and approach the .center of the rotor along the rod 6 until said weight 7 reaches the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The slowly rotating rotor will cause the weight 7 to travel in a circular path and said weight 7 when in this position, will strike the projection 19 of lever 14, whereby said lever 14 is forced in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4 by the impact of weight 7 against the projection 19 of said lever 14. This counter-clockwise rotation of said lever 14 causes the surface 16 at the end of arm 15 to be raised away from the aperture 22 in dial plate 21 and surface 17 appears before the aperture instead. Said surfaces as above mentioned are finished in different colors and thus indicate through the aperture 22 whether the motor has been stopped due to a current interruption; The spring 20 as previously mentioned serves to hold lever 14 in either of the positions above described.

With the resumption of the current flow the motor resumes its normal operation but the interruptive indicating surface 1'? remains in position until the lever 14 is manually returned to its original position at which time the clock may be set to the correct time. This resetting of the indicator is accomplished by means of the rod 15a (see Fig. 2) which passes through a slot in the outside of the clock casing, which is not shown.

It will be understood, of course, that while I have hereshown one form of my invention, 1 do not wish to limit myself to the exact form shown, but desire to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any and all the forms that come fairly within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, dual positioning means therefor and moving means associated with said motor centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor thereof co-acting with said dual positioning means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

2. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, dual positioning means therefor, moving means associated with said motor centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor thereof co-acting with said dual positioning means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said indicating means.

3. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means and a dual positioning means therefor and mechanical means associated with said motor centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor'thereof co-acting with said dual positioning means to actuate said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

4. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means and a dual positioning means therefor and mechanical means associated with said motor centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor thereof co-acting with said dual positioning means to actuate said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said indicating means.

5. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means and mechanical means centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its opreative speed.

6. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, mechanical means centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said indicating means.

7. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means and a weight rotatably and slidably mounted on the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

8. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by an electric motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, a weight rotatably and slidably mounted on the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said indicatinl means.

9. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, and a weight rctatably and slidably mounted on the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

10. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, a weight rotatably and slidably mounted on the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resettin said indicating means.

11. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, a weight rotatably and slidably mountedon the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed due to the interruption of the operating current. v

12. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, a weight rotatably and slidably mounted on the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed due to the interruption of the operating current and manual means for resetting said indicating means.

13. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means and mechanical means centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

14. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent signalling means and mechanical means centrifugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said signalling means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed.

15. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent signalling means, mechanical means centrii'ugally positioned by the operative speed oi the rotor of said motor co-acting to' position said signalling means only when said motor falls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said signalling means.

16. The combination with an instrument having a timing i'unction driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, 01' a device comprising an independent signalling means and mechanical means centriiugally positioned by the operative speed 01' the rotor of saidmotor co-acting to actuate said signalling means only when said motor ialls substantially below its operative speed.

17. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, oi a device comprising an independent signalling means, mechanical means centriiugally positioned by the operative speed 01' the rotor of said motor co-acting to actuate said signalling means only when said motor lalls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said signalling means.

18. The combination with an instrument having a timing function driven by a self-starting synchronous motor, of a device comprising an independent indicating means, mechanical means centriiugally positioned by the operative speed of the rotor of said motor co-acting to position said indicating means only when said motor ialls substantially below its operative speed and manual means for resetting said indicating means.

EMIL F. HENRY. 

